Somebody's One and Only
by Pothangfanfic
Summary: A woman sees an example of a love that lasts a lifetime. Inspired by Reba McEntire's "Somebody's Chelsea". Susan Thomas is an OC. Yes, it is Lassiet Juliet/Carlton.


Author's Note: I've changed a few things since my beta looked at it. As usual, if there's a mistake, it's mine and not her.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Psych belongs to Steve Franks, USA Network, and anyone else who owns it.

*OoO*

She walked into the restaurant and wondered again why in the world she'd agreed to this. She wanted to find someone, but the blind dates her friends and family set her up on were one disaster after another. Sometimes it just didn't seem worth the effort.

"May I help you?" the hostess asked.

"I'm meeting someone," she said, looking around.

"Name?"

"I'm meeting John Collins. My name is Susan Thomas."

The hostess consulted the reservation book. "Yes, I have a reservation under John Collins, but it's not for a few more minutes. Your table isn't quite ready. Would you like to sit at the bar and wait?"

She didn't want to wait in the bar. To be honest, she really didn't want to be here, but her sister would be furious if she backed out now.

The hostess sensed her reluctance. "I may have a quieter place you could sit until your party arrives if you don't mind sharing a table?"

"Sharing a table?"

The hostess gave her smile. "Follow me." She led her through a packed dining room into a semi-private room. "Mr. Lassiter?"

An older man looked up from the newspaper he'd been reading. "Yes, Melissa?"

"Would you mind a bit of company until your party, and hers, arrives?"

He looked at the young woman standing beside the hostess with shrewd eyes. "Not at all."

The hostess turned to the woman standing beside her. "Ms. Thomas, if that's acceptable?"

Susan thought for a moment. He looked like a nice man and not much could happen in a crowded restaurant like this and she _really_ didn't want to sit at the bar. "If, Mr. Lassiter, was it?" He nodded. "If Mr. Lassiter doesn't mind, I _would_ appreciate the quieter atmosphere."

He stood and pulled out her chair. "Please, call me Carlton; if we're going to share a table we should at least be on a first-name basis."

She sat down. "Please call me Susan."

He took his seat again. "So, Susan, what brings you to a very busy restaurant on date-night? If you don't mind my asking."

She made a face. "I've been set up on a blind date I couldn't get out of. It's a friend of my sister's and she'd kill me if I stood him up."

He surprised her by chuckling. "Ah, the joys of dating. It's been years and I don't miss it a bit."

She studied him. He seemed to be in his mid-60s. At one time, his hair had been dark, but it was more salt than salt-and-pepper now. His face held the lines of a man who laughed well and often.

He spoke again. "I haven't had to date in 30 years. That alone is enough reason to love my wife, even though I have more reasons than I can count." He smiled.

"You're a lucky man," she said a bit wistfully. To have someone to love for 30 years was so unlike the world she lived in. Her friends always seemed to be hooking up and breaking up faster than she could count. It irritated her because _they_ couldn't stay together, but they all wanted to set _her_ up with someone.

"You better believe it," he responded with another smile. He pulled out his wallet and took out a picture. It was unusual because most people carried their photos on a phone, tablet, or latest electronic gadget. She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen a real paper photo. "I know, it's odd to carry a picture," he said as he handed it to her. "I guess I'm a little old-fashioned. I wanted to have something of her with me that a dead battery or broken screen couldn't take away."

Susan found it utterly romantic but kept it to herself. She looked down at the picture of him and a young blonde woman. Judging from the clothing in the photo, it had to have been taken at least 25-30 years before.

"She's got a few more gray hairs now, but she still takes my breath away," he admitted. He leaned back in his chair while she contemplated the photo in her hand. "We've known each other for 40 years and in the beginning I doubted if we could be friends."

"You seem very happy in the picture."

"That was a few years after we met," he confessed. "We started out as partners on the police force." He took a sip of water from the glass in front of him. "We were partners for several years and became friends. We only began dating after I left the department."

"May I ask why?"

"Well, for one thing, fraternization was strictly against the rules. For another, I didn't think she would be interested and she wasn't for a very long time."

She wondered what woman wouldn't be interested in the man in the picture, or the one sitting across from her. He was still very handsome.

"I wasn't the nicest guy back then," he said, answering her unspoken question. "I was cynical and mad at the world a lot of the time. By the time we became partners I was old enough to be set in my ways and I didn't want to have to train a new partner. I also had other things going on in my life that affected my attitude." He shifted awkwardly in his chair, giving her the feeling he hadn't meant to say as much as he had.

"But she got interested?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I'm still not quite sure how I got so lucky, but she did. I retired to go into private security and she showed up at my house a week later and said she missed me." He shrugged. "I let her in and she never left." He gave her a small smile. "You're probably wondering why I'm telling you all of this."

"You have to admit. Telling a stranger all of this is a bit odd."

He laughed. "If you knew me, you'd think it was even odder than you already do." He regarded her for a moment. "I think because I see a bit of my younger self in you."

"Pardon?"

"Oh, not the non-nice, cynical me." He paused. "Well, maybe a _little_ of the cynical me. You came in here because you're hiding from a blind date. You don't really think 'happily ever after' exists anymore."

Her surprise at how well he'd read her made him chuckle.

"Not only was I a cop, but I was a detective. I got really good at reading people." His smile dimmed a bit. "You're getting close to convincing yourself that trying to find a 'one-in-a-lifetime love' just isn't worth the time and effort it takes. I'm telling you it is," he said. "It just takes some of us a little longer than others to find it."

Before she could answer, the hostess came in. "Ms. Thomas, your party has arrived."

"So," Carlton drawled, "are you going to go out there and see him or are you going to let a chance slide by?"

Susan thought about it for a moment before standing up. Carlton stood as well. "I think I may give this love thing another shot. Thank you" she said, as she gave him a hug. She smiled and followed the hostess out of the room.

*OoO*

Juliet entered from a side door to the room where her husband of almost 30 years stood waiting. She'd arrived early from her meetings and had heard most of what he'd said. She wrapped her arms around him as she blinked back tears. He still had the ability to surprise her. "Chatting up pretty girls when I'm not around, Carlton?"

He smiled down at her. "There's only one pretty girl I'd ever want to chat up and I'm privileged to be married to her."

She pulled back and sat down. "You sweet talker, you." She picked up a menu. "Now, let's eat. I'm starving."

"Yes ma'am," he said, and kissed the top of her head before sitting himself.

FINIS


End file.
